Freedom from a Locked Heart
by Kurozuki Mieko
Summary: AU. Shojoai. A school play, a kiss, a street accident... Haruka is in love with a goddess, Michiru falls for an angel... whose real identity is hidden under a mask of lies. NEW CHAPTER UP!
1. Default Chapter

Freedom from a Locked Heart

Notes: I know very little about Sailor Moon, so please forgive me if this is inaccurate. But, then, I'm trying my best to write this.

This is my first attempt to write a Sailor Moon fic. Constructive criticism is always welcome, as well as tips and ideas.

Though it is the first language I learned, English isn't exactly my native tongue, so I'm pretty much out of practice. Please forgive me for grammatical errors.

Oh, by the way, this fic features only Haruka and Michiru: no transformations and no other Senshi. But, that can change… eventually.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, Naoko Takeuchi does. However, I do own a few original characters and the play featured in this fic. Please ask permission before using them (if ever).

Summary: AU. A school play, a kiss, a street accident… Haruka and Michiru meet for the first time in school. They secretly developed feelings for each other. However, when Michiru discovered that Haruka was actually female, things started to get complex. Shoujo ai, Haruka/Michiru.

**Prologue:**

**The Night Before…**

The darkness of the night sky was clear. The stars were visible… very beautiful indeed. A blonde girl was leaning on the railing of the balcony. The gentle autumn wind blew at her hair, making the strands fly in all directions.

This is Ten'ou Haruka. Her family is quite wealthy. Her father owns a computer company in the United States, while her mother… well, she passed away when Haruka was born. Haruka's father is busy with his career, so Haruka spends most of her time alone, in her room, or with friends.

But, tonight it's on the balcony, in the company of the stars.

"Uranus… the gaseous twin planet of Neptune…" she muttered. She remembers something that she was somehow connected to the planet Uranus, but vaguely.

Another gentle breeze caressed her. She glanced at her watch. It's almost half-past nine.

'I should get to bed early,' she thought. 'I don't want to be late for the try-out.'

She yawned and stretched like a cat before entering her room.

It was cozy enough for a bedroom, actually too cozy for comfort. A four-post bed, much like the ones fairy-tale princesses sleep in, was on one side. On either side of the bed was a lampshade on top of a small table. In little distance was her study table-slash-bookshelf piled with schoolbooks and novels. Next to it is her closet and the door to her own shower. Opposite the entrance to the balcony was the door leading outside. It was certainly cozy.

She landed on her bed face first. Without bothering to put on nightclothes, she fell asleep.


	2. First Sight

**Chapter 1:  
****First Sight**

Six o' clock. The alarm clock went off. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Haruka turned in her bed quickly; her hair flew in all directions. She tried to reach the clock before it becomes louder. She missed the button by an inch. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

She sat up and pushed the button a bit too hard. BEEP. BEep. CLICK.

Groaning, she stood up and headed for the shower. She despised waking up early in the morning, but the warm shower made up for that. As the steamy water poured at her face, her chest and her body, she thought about the try-outs. If she succeeded, she might be going all over Japan, competing in races and, who knows, winning.

She closed the tap and went to get her towel. After drying herself, she donned a pair of sweat pants and a white shirt. She packed her school uniform in a bag along with her books and left for school.

BANG! The shot signaled for the runner to start. Haruka ran quickly, but maintained her stamina for the finishing lap. As she reached the last lap, she began to pick-up the pace to sprint to the finish.

"Great work! The results will be posted on the bulletin later," said the track team coach, beaming at her.

"All right," she said wearily, apparently out of breath.

"Rest for a while and head for the showers. And _maybe_, I'll be seeing you in practices," winked the coach, before leaving.

"Yeah… maybe…"

Panting, she bended down to catch her breath, her hands on her knees. Sweat was forming on her forehead, her chest, her legs. Some girls were chattering nearby. She looked up and saw something black that resembled a guitar case, only smaller. A violin case!

She stood up straight and looked at the owner of the violin. It was a lovely girl who looked back at her. She was somewhat familiar. Her face was framed by her wavy, shoulder-length, aqua hair. She bore an expression of surprise… and happiness. Her azure eyes seemed to shimmer faintly. She was so beautiful.

Haruka felt her cheeks grow warm. Her pulse quickened. Her hands slowly grew cold. She was perspiring, but it's not because of the running and all. It was something else… something she couldn't explain…

The girl with aqua hair stared at the blonde who had just finished the tryout. The athlete was bending down, seemingly breathing heavily. Then, the runner stood up and gazed directly at her. Green eyes searching her blue ones. The aspiring track member was so handsome and elegant. The girl flushed.

"Michiru-chan?" said her companion uncertainly. "Are you listening to me?"

Michiru did not respond. Her attention was still on the handsome blonde, who was now heading towards the shower room.

"Mi-chan!" called her a bit exasperatedly. She waved her hand in front of the other. "MI-CHAN!"

"Huh?" said Michiru, jerking out of her trance. "Oh, Mako-chan. Sorry about that."

"What's up with you?" asked Makoto, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You seem dazed."

"Nothing," replied the other, her face pink. Her friend seemed to be even more suspicious. "_Really_, it's nothing!"

"If it's nothing, why are you blushing?" Makoto looked at the place Michiru had been staring at before. A boy with jet-black hair was dashing across the track. A conclusion came to mind.

"Who were you looking at?"

"What?" Michiru's face went from pink to dark red. "What made you…? What are you…? N-no one!" she stuttered. She averted her face to hide it from her friend.

"C'mon, tell me," pleaded Makoto. "Was it Kazuya-kun?"

"No," said the other. The bell rang at the same time. Some students started rushing towards the building. "Let's go, we're gonna be late."

It was three o' clock… dismissal time. Most students had filled the halls, eager to get out right away. Some hung around for a short moment of relaxation. Others, like Haruka, were headed for the main hall for announcements.

Haruka slowly paced towards the bulletin board. There were some students crowded in front of it. She immediately searched for the results of the tryouts, which was rather difficult since the other students were pushing each other for a quick look of something.

She found the results. Her name was there. She couldn't help grinning at herself. Then, someone collided with her, breaking her good mood. She turned to glare at the other, but softened when she glimpsed the familiar aqua hair a little down the hall.

It was the same lovely girl from earlier. She was looking at a poster. Her blue eyes were deep and thoughtful.

Haruka walked towards her direction. She stopped just behind the other, and then glanced at the same poster. It was about the auditions for the annual school play, tomorrow, after classes.

She continued walking. Acting was another interesting hobby… and perhaps someone _very_ interesting would be there…


	3. Infatuation or Love?

**Chapter 2:  
****Infatuation or Love?**

"Your name and section?" asked a boy with brick-red hair. They were inside the auditorium, where the school play audition would be held.

"Ten'ou Haruka, 2-C" The red-haired director scribbled the information on his clipboard.

"Hmm…Have you read at least some of the script?" he asked without averting his gaze from the clipboard.

"Yeah," replied Haruka.

"And, which part will you be auditioning for?"

"Joushin Jiyuu"

"Hmm…" More scribbling. "Okay. Show me what you got."

Haruka went up the stage without a script. The director looked up, his face questioning.

"Don't you need a script?"

"I have… memorized a part," mumbled Haruka, somewhat uncertain.

"Suit yourself," the director shrugged.

Haruka braced herself. She internalized the character, the part, the emotion… Now, all she needs now is to put those into words and actions. Simple.

Michiru pushed the double doors of the auditorium. It was dimly lit except for the areas near the stage. The director was seated midway from the entrance to the stage. Acting upfront was the familiar blonde from yesterday morning.

"…the one story I couldn't write…" the blonde spoke, full of emotion. "… the one emotion I couldn't capture in words… not until now…"

Michiru stared at the one acting, making her pulse speed up. Her heart still pounding, she slowly approached the director.

"Anou…" Michiru started. The director glanced at her.

"Ah, Kaiou-san! You made it," exclaimed the director, beaming at her.

"Erm… about the part," began Michiru, waving the script she was holding. "I don't think I…"

"Don't tell me my favorite actress is backing out!" interrupted the redhead. He kneeled before her. "Please, I need you in my play."

"But, Itazura-kun… there's a kissing scene!" interjected the aqua-haired girl. "You know I don't do…"

"PLEASE! I'll do anything," Itazura Shinobu begged. "I'll edit that scene if you want. I'll even let you choose your partner," he thought for a moment. "…as long as he's a good actor!"

Michiru rolled her eyes, which fell upon the blonde standing on the stage. She looked at the kneeling director. His eyes resembled that of a puppy imploring to be bought. Cute, if an actual puppy was doing it; but quite irritating if he was doing it… irritating, yet effective.

"All right," Michiru finally said.

"Yatta!" The redhead jumped for joy. "Thanks, Kaiou-san."

"Just make sure my partner is not a maniac like you," she replied dully, her eyes narrowed.

"Sure! I'll find you a partner that's not a maniac like…" The boy's eyes widened in realization. "HEY!"

"Just kidding," beamed Michiru.

"Anou… Itazura-san…"

Michiru turned around, and her heart skipped a beat. It was the handsome blonde from yesterday morning, standing a little distance from her, and looking at her carefully. She felt her face go red. She couldn't help admiring the blonde's angelic face, cool ambiance, sturdy physique…

It's just simply too admirable.

"Ah, Ten'ou-san," said Itazura. "That was brilliant. Results will be announced here tomorrow at three-thirty."

"Hmm…" Haruka nodded slightly, but her attention was on the aqua-haired girl looking at her.

"That's Kaiou Michiru from 2-A," said the redhead, sensing where Haruka's attention was. "I believe you've heard of her."

"Was she the one who acted as Juliet last year?" asked Haruka, to confirm her speculation.

"One and only," replied the other. "She's going to act as Hareta Ai in my play."

"Really?" said Haruka, a little surprised. "Sou… I guess I'll be going now"

She started to leave the auditorium, her face slightly warm. She passed Michiru without saying a word. Even with her back to her, she knew that the others were somewhat confused.

That night, in her room, Haruka was lying on her back with her arms spread across the bed. Her eyes were closed. She was lost in thought of Michiru. Lost in her hair… in her eyes… her face… her beauty…

"Kaiou Michiru…" she whispered to herself. Whenever she imagined her, a warm feeling tingled in her chest. It was a strange feeling, like when you drink something warm in a cool day. It was soothing… comforting… like you could almost fly without wings… without restraint…

"Why… do I feel this way?"


	4. Joushin Jiyuu

**Chapter 3:  
****Audition Results**

The wind blew, making the leaves of a nearby maple tree rustle. It was a pleasant afternoon. The sky was fair. The sun was covered with clouds, so as the soil would not be scorched. Most students that were dismissed early could be seen lazing under the trees or walking leisurely.

Haruka was leaning against the wall of the auditorium. Her eyes were closed, her head bowed. She crossed her arms over her chest. Her hair was whipping against her face.

The results of the auditions would be announced in a short while. Soon, she would know if she the opportunity would be opened… the opportunity to be with her… to get to know her better…

"Um… are you here for the results of the audition?" a gentle voice asked. Haruka opened her eyes and raised her gaze. Standing in front of her was a girl with long brown hair. She was looking at Haruka with mild interest.

"Yeah…" Haruka held out a hand for the other to shake. "Ten'ou Haruka."

"Subarashii Makoto." She shook Haruka's hand. She stared at the handsome blonde a little too long. "Er…Nice to meet you."

"Same here." Haruka smiled, illuminating her features. "Are you here for the results too?"

"Iie," said the brunette, casually running a hand through her hair. "I'm just here to meet with a friend."

"Sou…" muttered the blonde.

"Makoto-chan!" called another girl. Haruka looked at the direction of the voice, only to see Michiru approaching them.

"Mi-chan!" cried Makoto rather indignantly. "What took you so long?"

"I forgot to tell you that I'm on cleaning duty," explained the other, who glanced slightly at Haruka's direction. Haruka merely stared at her.

"So, why are we here again?" asked the brunette to her friend.

"Itazura-kun asked us to help him with the results, remember?" replied the aqua-haired girl.

"Oh, yeah…" said Makoto, her face thoughtful. "So, shall we?"

Michiru pushed the double doors and entered the auditorium. Before Makoto went after her friend, she winked at Haruka, saying, "Well then, we'll be seeing you later."

Inside the auditorium was Shinobu, scribbling on his clipboard. He did not notice the two girls that entered and were now standing on either side of him. When he was done, he stretched his arms, raising them and the clipboard above his head so as to admire his handiwork.

"There!" he announced. He turned his head side to side, looking at his two friends in surprise. "When did you guys arrive?"

"Oh, a few minutes or so," answered Makoto airily, subconsciously running a hand through her hair.

"You could've at least prodded me…," muttered the redhead.

"So, have you come up with the results?" Michiru asked gently, but curiously. She wanted to know if a certain blonde got the part of Joushin Jiyuu, without hinting her friends of her slight crush.

"Yeah… all of them except Joushin," said Shinobu carelessly.

"What? You haven't decided yet?" asked Makoto a bit too loud.

"Well," the redhead turned to Michiru. "I resolved to let Kaiou-san make that decision." He grinned mischievously. "Who know, maybe she'll pick someone she actually fancies."

Michiru could only roll her eyes.

It was three-thirty. Haruka went in the auditorium, followed shortly by other students. The hall was fairly bright. Three figures were standing on the stage, one of which was the red-haired director. The other was the brunette who greeted her earlier. The last one was an elegant girl, with her aqua hair flowing to her shoulders.

"…Michiru…" she whispered to herself. Shaking out of her trance, she looked around her. Most of the boys waiting were also staring at the stage, as if a goddess had suddenly appeared before their eyes.

"Okay, everyone!" rang Shinobu's amplified voice as he tried to catch the attention of the small crowd. "We've finally came to a decision! Results are as follows…"

Haruka didn't hear what came next. Her attention was still focused onto Michiru, who was whispering something to Makoto.

"…and that concludes it," said the redhead. A few groans from disappointed students were heard. But there was something missing…

"Wait a minute," asked a hopeful freshman. "Who plays Joushin Jiyuu?"

"Um… w-well…" the director stammered as he gazed uncertainly at his friends. Makoto went to Shinobu and took the clipboard from him. She flipped through a few pages then went to the microphone.

"Please wait one moment…" She continued to flip pages. "…ah… Joushin Jiyuu will be played by…"

Everyone, eager to know who the lucky guy was, hanged on to her every word. She glanced at Michiru hesitantly. The other nodded her head, to make her go on. She faced the crowd again.

"…Ten'ou Haruka, Section 2-C…"

Haruka's eyes widened in surprise. Sure, she did audition for the part, but she never actually expected to get it… the role of the partner of Michiru's character…

"So, that's that," said Shinobu, assuming his more formal nature. "The chosen actors please stay behind."

As everybody started to leave, Haruka felt something strange from behind her. She turned around, only to see her male peers glaring jealously at her. She grinned nervously at them before facing the stage again.

Shinobu beckoned them to come nearer to the stage. When everyone was there, he started something he calls a speech.

"So, you have been chosen to actors for the school play… _my_ play," Shinobu addressed them, a bit too harshly to make a point that messing up could have terrible consequences. "I expect the best from each of you… Everyday rehearsals start tomorrow, four to seven o'clock." He suddenly grinned, showing his more cheerful side. "That's all for today, see you guys tomorrow!"

Haruka made a confused face at the director, whose sudden change of mood startled everyone.

"Ehe… you'll get used to that," chuckled Shinobu.


	5. Quiet Talk

**Chapter 4:  
****Quiet Talk**

Haruka was walking to the parking lot, slowly. She still couldn't believe that she'll be playing Joushin Jiyuu, the most difficult yet most coveted role in this year's school play. As she paced towards her sports car, she reflected on the events of the last few days: Seeing her at the track, almost meeting her at the audition, knowing a close friend of hers, and now getting a role as her partner… Surely, such fortunate coincidence could not possibly happen without some outside force, could it?

Standing beside the gold convertible, with her hand reaching to her pocket for her keys, she remembered a line in the play… the one that had a great impact on her…

"'…love was not meant to be written,' " she whispered to herself, a warm feeling enveloping her. " 'But felt…' "

"'It was meant to be understood, not explained…,' " muttered another voice, a sweet gentle voice behind her. Startled, Haruka turned around quickly. She froze solid as soon as she saw who had followed her.

It was Michiru, grinning brightly at her. Haruka felt her cheeks burn, her ears going slightly pink.

"Hi," said the aqua-haired girl somewhat shyly. "You seem to like that line."

Haruka couldn't get words out of her mouth, so she nodded, a bit stiffly at that.

"Oh, foolish me, disturbing you without an introduction," she said, putting a hand over her mouth. Her cheeks went red, apparently because she was embarrassed with her actions. Regaining her composure, she raised her hand for the other to shake. "Kaiou Michiru, 2-A"

"I know, I mean… I've heard about you…well…I," stammered Haruka, her heart pounding on her chest, making her flush. She stretched her hand, which was shaking a little, towards Miciru's and shook it with a tad difficulty. The other didn't seem to notice. "I-I'm T-Ten'ou Haruka, 2-C"

"You're playing Joushin Jiyuu, right?" Again, Haruka could only nod. "Then, I guess we'll be having quite a time together. I'm playing Hareta Ai."

Haruka gazed at Michiru. She was still smiling at her, her blue eyes twinkling as she spoke. Haruka, feeling a little more at ease, beamed at her.

"Yes, perhaps we would…," replied Haruka, inserting her keys to unlock the doors of her car. Gathering some courage, Haruka asked Michiru, "Ne, Kaiou-san, would you like a ride home?"

"I'd love to," began Michiru, making Haruka have her hopes up. A distance from them, Shinobu and Makoto were calling out for her to come with them. "…but I can't." Michiru barely saw Haruka's slight frown. "Itazura-kun, Makoto-chan and I have some plans… maybe some other time…"

"Ok," mumbled Haruka. Michiru went towards her waiting friends, Haruka's gaze still fixed on her. She let out a sigh.

"'Before this, I've never known that love… not until now…' "

Michiru was walking in a weird manner. Each step she took didn't seem to touch the pavement, as if she was walking on air… drifting… floating…

"Michiru seems to be very happy today," observed Makoto. She turned to the redhead beside her "Ever wondered why?"

"I wonder who made her day," Shinobu said with a smirk painted on his face.

"Hi guys," said Michiru, grinning from ear to ear. "Shall we go?"

"Erm, why don't we just talk and stroll for a while, Michiru," suggested Makoto, trying hard to keep a smirk from showing. "We're not in a big hurry, after all."

"Ok, spit it out," said Michiru flatly, looking at them through narrowed eyes. She evidently saw through her friends' effort to hide their suspicious mirth.

"Whoa! Don't get sore on us now," said a smiling Shinobu, waving a hand in front of his face. "We just want to know why you chose Ten'ou-san. Was it because you fancy him?"

From a scowling face with narrowed eyes, Michiru's expression turned into a surprised one with her eyebrows raised over her wide eyes. Her two friends were trying to stifle their giggling over her appearance. But they failed, badly.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" cried Makoto between laughter.

"Anyway, why did you choose, er, _him_?" asked Shinobu. No one really knew that Haruka was a girl, but some students like Shinobu have their suspicions whenever they pass her near the locker rooms.

"Why does it matter?" Michiru scoffed. "If it's about his acting, I think he's good enough."

"It's not about his acting," said Makoto, trying so hard to stop giggling. "It's about your feelings about, you know… him"

Michiru rolled her eyes at them, but her face turned pink. She looked away from them, obviously embarrassed.

"Ha! Knew it!" declared Shinobu, rubbing his hands together. He turned to Makoto. "Pay up, Subarashii."

"Fine, then." Makoto handed him a few bills a bit reluctantly. She scowled at Shinobu as he danced victoriously.

"So," Michiru crossly said. "You guys had a little wager about my feelings. How tactless of you!"

"We're sorry, Michiru," Makoto apologized to an irritated Michiru. "But, then I guess you know we would sooner or later."

Michiru frowned. Of course, she knew that her two friends liked betting on some odd events, like if a teacher would trip on someone's foot or something, but she never thought that they would bet on her feelings for Ten'ou. There are just some things that could never be change.

"I can't believe you did this…" she said in fake sadness, then grinned. "Baka, Itazura-kun-tachi."

The three of them laughed at that.

"I can't believe she actually spoke to me," muttered Haruka. She's at an intersection waiting for the red light to turn green. She sighed at her words, while still thinking about Michiru.

The light turned green. Grinning, she stepped on the acceleration. Her gold car sped off at her command. The fierce wind blew, making her blond hair dance with it. The speed was like an adrenaline rush. Her pulse quickened as she drove a bit faster. Soon, she reached the gates of an elegant mansion.

She stood before the gates, hesitating to enter. The euphoria of her conversation with Michiru was still there, but shortly, loneliness found its way into her heart again as she pushed them open and entered her large and empty household.

More Notes: Okaaaay! Now I know some of you are really interested to know what would happen next, but I haven't finished writing the next chapter. I only updated to add a few notes and fix something because, for some reason, took it out. shrugs I'm having difficulty dishing out chapter six because I'm trying to make the following chapters longer, as requested. My writing style has been having mood swings, so sorry for the abrupt style changes of my writing.

Well, as a way of apologizing, I'm placing a teaser of chapter six…

…Haruka woke at a start. She was breathing heavily. Her hair was sticking to the back of her neck. Her usually loose nightshirt was clinging to her skin. Her hands were trembling as she wiped away the cold drop of perspiration just over her eyebrow. She wearily gazed at the alarm clock beside her.

Two o' clock.

She guessed that it wasn't the alarm that woke her up. She stared at the ceiling of her bedroom. On it was a picture of a single red rose protected by brown and brick red thorns...


	6. The Dream

A/N: Sorry for not updating! My computer needed some repairing, summervacation came and gone... and with this thing called college life in a university a bit like Mugen... well, I just hope you guys enjoy this:

**Chapter 5:**

**The Dream**

Haruka was walking down the corridor. Her classroom, which was the fourth door from the staircase, had somehow mysteriously moved to the end of the hall. As she walked, she noticed that the school was ominously empty.

She approached the door under the sign 2-C, her hand slowly reaching for the doorknob. The door, however, opened before her fingers could even wrap themselves around the circular knob. She went inside, and heard the door shut behind her. The room, too, was strangely arranged. The usual tables and chairs were all gone. Only a single brown armchair was in the middle of the room.

"Strange…" muttered the blonde. She inspected the chair from a closer distance, her head constantly tilting from one side to another.

Click.

The door had opened again, only this time it didn't shut itself and was now swinging back and forth, an annoyingly shrill creak coming from its hinges. Haruka spun around to face the newcomer, her eyes wary, only to find that there was no one.

"I thought I heard someone come in," she said to herself. She looked again at the chair, and then almost jumped back in surprise.

There was someone— a vague image of a girl —standing beside the brown chair. She seemed to have her head bowed, her hair hiding her face from view. When the girl sensed Haruka's gaze, she looked up, revealing her rage-filled eyes. Haruka was taken aback. Whatever did she do to the girl to make her mad?

"How dare you come here!" The girl cast an accusing glare at Haruka's direction. "I already said that I don't want to see you! You're so full of yourself! I—DON'T—LIKE—YOU!"

Her last words echoed through the whole school, only that it wasn't a school. It wasn't even any kind of building. It was just a room with the same background as before. It was just a room where the same brown chair was. It was just a room.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Haruka woke at a start. She was breathing heavily. Her hair was sticking to the back of her neck. Her usually loose nightshirt was clinging to her skin. Her hands were trembling as she wiped away the cold drop of perspiration just over her eyebrow. She wearily gazed at the alarm clock beside her.

Two o' clock.

She guessed that it wasn't the alarm that woke her up. She stared at the ceiling of her bedroom. On it was a picture of a single red rose protected by brown and brick red thorns. She wondered what was she dreaming of before she woke. She closed her eyes, hoping that the scene would return to her.

Slowly, images from the distant reality entered her mind… the empty room, the brown chair, the girl bellowing at her, "—so full of yourself!"… "—DON'T—LIKE—YOU!" She shook her head to clear her head. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling again, though she was not really looking at it.

She was thinking of the dream she just had. It wasn't the first time she'd dreamed of the room with the brown armchair. It was mostly the same except that the image of the girl did not match the one before and that she was yelling her lungs out on how much she disliked Haruka. The ones before merely talked with her nonchalantly.

"Saa…" said Haruka, clutching her right temple. Her light head was throbbing, begging for more of much needed sleep. She closed her eyes again, only this time she tried to clear her mind, but in vain. The images would not go away. They haunted her thoughts as she struggled to get more sleep. Two minutes… ten minutes… twenty minutes had passed, yet the blank darkness of sleep still did not come to her… not immediately.

Hours later, the darkened sky was now tinged with the blue of dawn. Little light was pouring in from a slightly opened window. A quiet breeze entered the room, caressing the girl's sandy hair. The sun had risen completely. Light from the outside world had now filled the bedroom. Haruka stirred slightly, groaning in protest at the sunlight's attempts to wake her up. She turned to lie on her stomach, covering her head with a pillow. At that instant, her alarm clock went off.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

She ignored it, as she wanted to stay in bed some more since the dream kept her awake for most of the crucial hours for sleep. But, unfortunately for her, she bought an annoyingly persistent alarm clock that wouldn't stop beeping.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Growling, Haruka tried to reach for the button on the alarm clock. She stretched out her arm, but the clock was a bit far out of reach. She moved a little to the edge of her bed, her fingers almost reaching the very bothersome clock on her table when…

THUD!

"…_itai_!" moaned Haruka. She was now lying on her back, but her legs were entangled with the covers of her bed. She struggled to free herself as her position granted her no leverage to thrust her body to a sitting position. After a few minutes of fighting with her beddings, her situation was now a bit worse since her blanket was now strangling her. Furious, she flailed her arms wildly, kicking at the bed sheets around her.

When she finally freed herself, a familiar ring tore through the air.

KRRING! KRRING! KRRING!

She went towards the phone just outside her bedroom door. The light on the answering machine blinked a few times. Haruka just stared at the ringing phone, apparently wondering whether she should pick it up or let the machine do its work. After some thought, she went for the latter.

Click!

"Gomen," drawled her recorded voice. "Either I'm not home right now, or I didn't hear the phone ringing. Please just leave your message after the beep." BLEEEEP!

"Moshimoshi, Haru-chan," said a deep male voice from the other side. "Sorry if the ringing bothered you, if you're sleeping right now. I lost track of the time over there, since it's been so long." Haruka grinned a bit sadly at the last words of the voice. "Anyway, I just called to tell you that I won't be home for quite a while. The company has been having serious problems lately. Just take care always, Haru-chan. Love you." Click!

Haruka sighed. Her father was a very busy man. Since she turned thirteen, he spent most of his time working in America, though he came home every once in a while to catch up with his only child. However, he seemed to have so much in his hands recently that he rarely came to Japan.

Haruka went back into her bedroom. She glanced at the messy heap that was her bed.

'That'd take a lot of work to clean up…' she thought as she entered her personal shower so as to prepare for the day ahead.

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"… so if X squared minus Y squared is equal to one, then…" droned Nibui-sensei, the mathematics teacher. Michiru idly twiddled with a pen as she stared out the window. On any other day, she would be listening to the lecture and taking down notes. Today, however, the lesson did not seem appealing. Nothing seemed to be interesting enough to do, except staring distractedly at the sky while daydreaming of the handsome Ten'ou Haruka.

'It's strange really,' thought Michiru with a sigh. She rested her cheek on her hand. 'Strange how I was attracted to someone I've just met. Is this love at first sight? Possibly…'

"Kaiou-san," called her teacher, shaking her out of her reverie.

"Hai?" asked Michiru, a bit uncertain of what to say.

"I have a note here that says you have a play rehearsal at eleven thirty," said Nibui-sensei, glancing at the wall clock meaningfully. Michiru followed his gaze. It was eleven twenty-five.

"May I be excused?" inquired Michiru as she slowly stood up, her bag at one hand.

"Yes," answered the math teacher. As Michiru left the room, her teacher now turned his attention to the rest of the class. "Now, as I was saying…"

Michiru shut the door behind her and started to walk down the hallway. After passing a few rooms, she looked up to see the sign above her: 2-C. She gazed at the small window on the door, in hope of stealing a glance of Haruka, but the blonde was nowhere to be found.

'Ten'ou-san is probably in the auditorium already,' thought Michiru, as she headed for the staircase leading to the exit. The auditorium was just opposite her level's building.

She reached the auditorium exactly on time. When she opened the double doors, she saw all the familiar faces she was going to work with for the play, all except the one person she was really expecting to be there. She approached a fellow sophomore to inquire of the whereabouts of the one who plays Joushin Jiyuu.

"Karen-san," Michiru asked a blue-haired girl she knew from section 2-C. The girl, who had her back towards Michiru, turned around to face her friend. "Ten'ou-san wa doko desu ka?"

"Eh?" Karen made a confused look. "I don't know. I didn't see him during our Modern Japanese class."

"Do you have any idea where Ten'ou-san might be?" Michiru asked a bit eagerly, yet hoping her expression did not show the same eagerness. The blue-haired girl raised her eyebrows at Michiru's question.

"Iie," replied Karen, "Gomen ne."

Michiru sighed. 'Where could you be?' she thought as she went to look for Shinobu, the most likely person to know where Haruka was. She found him sitting at the edge of the stage as he fumbled with some papers.

"Itazura-kun," she said softly so as not to startle the other. The boy looked up from the paper work and grinned.

"Kaiou-san!" he said enthusiastically. "I was wondering when you'd come. Never thought my star had the capacity to be late for rehearsal, though. Anyway, I was thinking of a more…" Michiru glared at him for him to stop his babble. She was irritated at his unawareness of his surroundings, and especially irritated at how he neglected one of the main actors of his play. Shinobu, however, raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What! What did I do this time?"

"Are you simply unobservant or truly blind?" asked Michiru. Shinobu merely batted his eyelids, a confused and startled look on his face. Michiru rolled her eyes at him. "Let me spell it out: How could we practice without one of our actors, and a lead one at that?"

"Huh?" Shinobu looked at her blankly. It took him a few more moments before what Michiru told him registered in his thick head. "Oh… OH! Ten'ou-san… right, right, right. I was wondering when um, _he_'d come…"

"Does Haruka-san even know about the practice?" Michiru raised an eyebrow, though her annoyance was slowly ebbing. Shinobu suddenly appeared to be thoughtful.

"I think I asked Subarashii to take note to 2-C …" he said, "So he must have…"

"Karen-san didn't see Haruka-san in class," interrupted Michiru. "Most likely Haruka-san had cut class and gone home."

"Nah, he'd never," said Shinobu nonchalantly. "He's probably just sleeping or something. He's not the type to go home like that."

"I see," muttered Michiru as she headed to the doors, a determined expression on her face.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The bell rang, signaling the end of the morning session of classes. Most of the students rushed towards the cafeteria for a much-yearned meal. Others, however, wished to do something more worthwhile than filling their empty stomachs.

The warm wind blew over the school, ruffling the sandy blonde hair of Ten'ou Haruka. She was on the roof of her year's building. She was lying flat on her back, her eyes shut tightly. The lose of sleep the night before was taking its toll on her. Even until now, when the sun was shining brightly on her, the dark thoughts of the dream were still upon her.

'… You're so full of yourself!' echoed the bellowing voice in her head. For some reason, Haruka seemed to know that voice, but only vaguely. Like the planet Uranus, whose twin is the planet Neptune. The sky meets the sea.

"That dream…" she whispered to the passing wind, "…it wasn't the first time I had it, was it?" The wind blew harder against her skin in reply. At that moment, images from a seemingly distant past came to her mind: Images of the room with the brown chair at the center… Images of lost friends who would not be easily forgotten… of the calmness of their dream conversations… of how they shunned her in real life…

'The one who left me… The one who was not really true…' Haruka thought as her hand reached out to the sky, but never really reaching it. Her eyes still closed, she tried to remember the names of her once good friends. 'Tomoe-chan… then, Umi-chan. I wonder if a new acquaintance of mine would hate me as well.'

She lowered her hand to just above her face to shade it. Her eyes adapted to the sudden change of brightness, even under her eyelids. The darkness she saw with her eyes closed slowly swirled into a haze of colors then formed into that scene in her dream. Weirdly enough, she could make out a few things she never noticed before… the girl yelling at her… her hair was some shade of green. She concentrated harder on the picture formed in her head, focusing on the girl… a girl with green hair… a girl who had the air of maturity… or perhaps she was not a girl but a woman… Now that she thought of it, the girl in her dream, her presence seems oddly familiar… like…

A shadow fell upon her. The wind had stopped toying with her hair. That could mean one thing: someone was with her on the roof, and that person is blocking her relaxing wind. Haruka rolled her eyes under her eyelids.

"Go away. I'm trying to sleep," she drawled to the unknown person. She tried to stifle a yawn, but failed dramatically.

"Ara, so that's what you're doing?" asked an oh-so-familiar voice. "Something more important than Modern Japanese, perhaps?"

"Eh?" Haruka cracked open her right eye. A fuzzy mass of sea green had replaced the blueness of the sky. She opened her other eye, but her vision is still blurred. After blinking a few times, an angelic face swam into view. It was gazing curiously at her. Haruka's face instantly grew warm. "M-Michiru?"

"Ara, isn't that informal of you?" She raised an eyebrow at the blonde. She was scrutinizing the other's lying form, taking in every detail of the confused look painted on Haruka's face.

"G-gomen. You took me by surprise." Haruka sat up and looked at the other in the eye, even if it made her heart pound. The wind made Michiru's shoulder-length hair whip against her face, thus messing it up. Yet even in this somewhat disheveled state, Haruka still found her very captivating. Then, a question popped into the athlete's mind. "Ne, why are you here?"

"I thought you should know that we have a practice for our play," she said as she ran a hand through her hair in an attempt to make it behave, but in vain. Her hair insisted in flirting with the alluring breeze. She didn't seem to be sore with the blonde for calling her by her first name with no honorific. Actually, after she scolded the other, she acted as if it was nothing to her. "You missed the announcement because you weren't in class." She looked up to the sky, a playful grin formed on her lips. "I had to look for you all over the school." Haruka's eyes widened in astonishment. "Never thought I would find someone trying to nap here…"

"Sorry about that," muttered Haruka, looking at the other apologetically.

"Hmm? Whatever for?" asked Michiru, showing genuine confusion.

"For being a nuisance," mumbled Haruka as she stretched and stood up. "I should've been more responsible."

"It's nothing." Michiru ran her hand against her hair again, but it kept covering her face. She smiled at Haruka, despite her annoyance at the wind. "Just try not to skip classes, even if they're boring…"

"I'll try to keep that in mind."

For a few minutes, they walked in silence… dead silence… nerve-racking silence…

'Come on, stupid, TALK TO HER!' yelled a voice in Haruka's mind. Her palms were already sweaty and her face felt so warm that her vision is starting to blur.

"A-anou… Kaiou-san…" she started. Michiru looked at her.

"You can call me Michiru if you like," she said, smiling sweetly at the other.

"Michiru-san…" she began again, but for some reason, the words she wanted to say would not come out.

"…would you…" '…like to go out with me?'

"Yes?" Michiru started looking at Haruka confusedly.

"…would you like to…" 'Yes, we're getting there…'

Michiru was now staring at her curiously while awaiting the four words that would roll out of Haruka's tongue.

"…to _ride home_ with me?" '…go ou—RIDE HOME! What the hell happened?'

"I'd love to, Ten'ou-san." Michiru was now practically beaming at the other. Haruka couldn't help grinning herself, despite her mouth's apparent malfunction.

"Please, just Haruka," she said charmingly.

"Haruka-san…"

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More Notes: Thanks to all that reviewed! It really helped motivate me. I appreciate it a lot, but I'm lacking words and losing ideas for the middle of this story. (whacks her head with a dictionary)

I wish I could just give you guys the ending, but that wouldn't be fun without some suspense now, would it? (shrugs —— ?)

Anyway, I am sorry if my style is inconsistent, especially when I'm writing Michiru. I can't see things from her perspective correctly, probably because I'm not exactly the biggest fan of her so I suck when characterizing her. Truly sorry to Michiru fans…

By the way, I noticed that some… well, a lot, actually, of those who reviewed said that longer chapters would be nice, so I'm trying my best to lengthen this chapter and the chapters to come. hehe

Also, please note that Michiru does not refer to Haruka in male terms like "he" or "him"… just for a little fun.


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